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Last Day of the Christian Feast of Unleavened Bread
April 3, 2021

Today we observing the last day of the Christian Feast of Unleavened Bread. It was after the Passover that Pharaoh let the children of Israel depart from Egypt. Plague after plague had been brought upon the Egyptians and Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened and he did not let the people go. It took the death of the firstborn of Egypt which struck at the heart of the ruling family of Egypt to bring a change of heart. While it was still night, Moses and Aaron were summoned to meet with Pharaoh who told them that they could leave Egypt to serve their God. He told them all the children of Israel were free to go with their livestock. Finally, the Egyptians had a sense of urgency because they wanted no more death leaving no time for bread dough to rise. Beyond the livestock, the Egyptians gladly gave them silver, gold, clothing, and anything that they asked for, just to hustle them out of the country lest any more harm come to the Egyptians. It was on the day after the Passover that the children of Israel departed Egypt. In less than one day they went from slaves to free.

Exodus 12:31-51
And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men. And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians. And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual. Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations. And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

As God led the children of Israel from Egypt to return to the land promised to Abraham, God deliberately led them in an indirect way to the promised land. God knew if he took them the most direct route it would cause the people to immediately face war, and God knew many would not fight and instead desire to return to Egypt.

Exodus 13:17-18
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

God would not set up His people for failure then, nor will he allow us today to be set up for failure.

1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

We know God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to endure. In the case of the children of Israel, after having just been given their freedom after generations of enslavement, God knew the threat of battle against a foreign army by His people who most recently were enslaved would be too much for His people to endure. Could God have miraculously intervened in all of these immediate battles to give victory to the children of Israel? Absolutely! Did God choose to at this early time to miraculously intervene in battle? No, God did not. God knew this would be too much for the people and even then would not set up His people for failure. He does the same for us today.

Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Romans explaining the constant battle that he faced. Paul was raised a Pharisee and became the apostle to the gentiles. Most of what we read in the New Testament are words he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write. He explains how the law of God is spiritual and how he was a slave of sin physically. He acknowledged how he came to hate his actions as a man and how what he did was a result of sin, not the Holy Spirit. Within his physical body, he knew there was nothing good, that when it came to his body, his body only did evil. Paul knew there was this constant battle, the spirit versus the body. Paul clearly tells us what the way of escape is for us when it is our body from which we need to escape. Paul tells us deliverance is of God the Father through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Romans 7:14-25
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Paul didn’t conclude his thoughts at this point in the book. We need to remember that chapters and verses were added much later to ease in finding passages of scripture. In the very next few verses in chapter eight, Paul explained there is no condemnation for the people of Jesus Christ who walk after the spirit and not the flesh. He added that Jesus came in the flesh to condemn sin in the flesh, and that because we have the Holy Spirit, we are living in the spirit and will be resurrected at the return of Jesus.

Romans 8:1-11
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

In our spiritual battle we are told to be strong in the Lord, in the power of His might. Because we are bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ we can and will withstand the trickery of Satan the Devil. We need to remember the battle we face every day is not a battle against other people. The battle we face is a spiritual battle against Satan, his demons, and their evil influence that we see in the governance of this world. Paul urged the Ephesians to fight this spiritual battle remembering to put on the whole armor of God so that they could withstand the evil with which they would be attacked. Today, our defense begins by being grounded in the truth. We can only know the truth by knowing what is in the Bible and that takes study of the Bible, on a frequent and regular basis, a daily basis, Sabbath after Sabbath, month after month, as we move into and out of Holy Days and their seasons, and from year to year.

We protect ourselves with righteousness. We do this by living a life that is reflective of what we know to be the truth of the Bible. If we know the truth and do not act on the truth, that is not good enough. We must always act on the truth that is in the Bible.

We maintain hope in our spiritual battles when we understand God’s plan of salvation in our life. Every year through each Holy Day, we rehearse God’s plan of salvation. We know that the most important life to live is not the physical life that we have now. We know at the last trumpet we will be changed from this physical body to a spiritual body having hope of the Kingdom of God and the New Jerusalem knowing that all is possible through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In all of our spiritual attacks we will face, it is our faith that most intimately protects us. Having a hope for something we have not yet seen with our eyes is what we actively do with the truth that we have, by living a life reflective of that truth, and understanding God’s plan of salvation. It is our faith that will reflect and dispel the negative energy that comes with each spiritual attack on us, as we hold firmly to our hope of salvation using as our weapon scripture, like Jesus Christ cited scripture, to defend ourselves.

Ephesians 6:10-17
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

In all that we face in our life and the bleakness of the evil we see around us in our life, on this day as we contemplate the children of Israel leaving Egypt as a type of our journey from sin, we know we have always been spiritually protected by God who leads the way before us and protects us from surprise attacks. We know we have a God who will always provide a way of escape for us in whatever situations we face in life. We know we have been bought and paid for through the blood of Jesus Christ by God the Father who desires all men to be saved and that God is working within us so that we may be perfect, complete, before God standing tall after the spiritual battle we face each and every day. With all of this, if God is for us, nobody can be truly against us. Satan may wish for our defeat, and Satan will lose that battle. Whatever charge Satan brings against us before God, much like he brought charges against Job, we remember it is God that justifies, or determines our innocence. We also remember because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is our mediator, there is no one who can effectively condemn us. We know that nothing will separate us from the love of Christ, nothing small nor nothing great. When we are faced with the most challenging of circumstances and others mock us, it is then we conquer through Jesus Christ. There is nothing that will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Romans 8:31-39
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Each and every day we continue on our journey from sin and we can confidently push forward to our place in the Kingdom of God as God leads the way for us while also protecting us from the unexpected knowing that in the end we who are aligned with God the Father and Jesus Christ will win the spiritual battles we face on our journey.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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